Xenoblade Chronicles Official Thread

[Fused King]

I do not mean to put this thread off-rails, but from a sheer gameplay perspective I thought Skyward Sword was the more satisfying game.

Xenoblade's gameplay had me question why I was playing the game, something a game should never do. Luckily everything else was pure quality and that was what kept us (played it with a friend) going.

Edited April 11, 2014 by Fused King

[Ville]

@Fused King You mean the plot was crappy or what? Edited April 11, 2014 by Ville

[Sheikah]

What was wrong with the gameplay? It was one of the best hybrid action/command battle systems ever.

[Fused King]

Let me put it this way.

The stuff that one could do in Xenoblade was a whole lot of a lot, but consisted of nothing more than 'grinding and finding' so to speak.

 

Skyward Sword, along with its motion controls obviously, felt like it had a bit more variety and was more qualitativly designed.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, because of the sheer vastness of Xenoblade, all the sidequests and stuff didn't really do much for the way you actually 'play the game', because it's just a lot of the same. Somewhere in the middle this really got to us and we were hoping that it would end soon (this was when we were about 70 hours in of our 142 hour play through).

 

Maybe it's just that when I think of Skyward Sword's gameplay, I think of actually hitting enemies with my WiiMote plus and having fun with that, but with Xenoblade the combat wasn't that satisfying later on.

[Hero-of-Time]

Update time. I haven't been on this since Thursday, due to being down my bros for the weekend, but figure I would have some banter about where Im at.

 

I just finished the Galahad Fortress area and that whole place seemed to crank up the difficulty. For the whole game I have managed to do any level grinding ( although the SQ grinding made up for this ) but some of the UMs in this area kicked my butt.

 

What made this annoying was that there were zero SQs to do and the normal enemies dropped pitiful XP. This made it impossible to do any levelling up. I wasn't best pleased as I like to blitz enemies when playing these type of games.

 

The boss battle where you fight 3 machines and Fiora was a pain as well, even though I was 4 levels above them. I eventually emerged victorious though and enjoyed the cutscenes afterwards.

 

 

I have to say, I don't think this is the all singing and all dancing game that many make this out to be. I love the genre and have played many of them during the last generation and a lot of them are a better game than this. I know I have yet to finish this but I think its safe to say that I easily got more enjoyment out of the likes of Crisis Core, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Tales of Xillia etc.

 

This isn't a bad game by any means but many Wii owners called it the JRPG of the generation and I have to disagree. Maybe they just didn't play ones on the other consoles? Or maybe they do generally think that it was? Opinions and all that.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Update time. I haven't been on this since Thursday, due to being down my bros for the weekend, but figure I would have some banter about where Im at.

 

I just finished the Galahad Fortress area and that whole place seemed to crank up the difficulty. For the whole game I have managed to do any level grinding ( although the SQ grinding made up for this ) but some of the UMs in this area kicked my butt.

 

What made this annoying was that there were zero SQs to do and the normal enemies dropped pitiful XP. This made it impossible to do any levelling up. I wasn't best pleased as I like to blitz enemies when playing these type of games.

 

The boss battle where you fight 3 machines and Fiora was a pain as well, even though I was 4 levels above them. I eventually emerged victorious though and enjoyed the cutscenes afterwards.

 

 

I have to say, I don't think this is the all singing and all dancing game that many make this out to be. I love the genre and have played many of them during the last generation and a lot of them are a better game than this. I know I have yet to finish this but I think its safe to say that I easily got more enjoyment out of the likes of Crisis Core, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Tales of Xillia etc.

 

This isn't a bad game by any means but many Wii owners called it the JRPG of the generation and I have to disagree. Maybe they just didn't play ones on the other consoles? Or maybe they do generally think that it was? Opinions and all that.

 

Keep going, brah. There were moments in this game where I lost it and raged a little...then a lot. (see a few pages back, hahaha)

 

On the whole, I love it. But, I also recognise that it also frustrated me with some of the difficulty spikes.

[Hero-of-Time]

Keep going, brah. There were moments in this game where I lost it and raged a little...then a lot. (see a few pages back, hahaha)

 

On the whole, I love it. But, I also recognise that it also frustrated me with some of the difficulty spikes.

 

Don't worry, I will finish it this time.

 

The difficulty spikes don't bother me ( it's the only one I've hit so far ) it's the fact that in that area there's no grinding I could have done. It's like the game said " You will do it at this level! ". It was really odd because up until that point it gave you options, whether it was grinding by enemies or grinding by SQs.

[lostmario]

Update time. I haven't been on this since Thursday, due to being down my bros for the weekend, but figure I would have some banter about where Im at.

 

I just finished the Galahad Fortress area and that whole place seemed to crank up the difficulty. For the whole game I have managed to do any level grinding ( although the SQ grinding made up for this ) but some of the UMs in this area kicked my butt.

 

Not far behind you now. Finished Galahad Fortress before the Arsenal Wigan game started.

 

I've got a few side quests left but they all require a monster to show up at a random part of the day and I really can't be bothered to do them.

 

Colony 6 is coming along, need a dust element which is driving me mad as I've found out what drops it but the bloody thing won't drop it.

[Hero-of-Time]

Not far behind you now. Finished Galahad Fortress before the Arsenal Wigan game started.

 

I've got a few side quests left but they all require a monster to show up at a random part of the day and I really can't be bothered to do them.

 

Colony 6 is coming along, need a dust element which is driving me mad as I've found out what drops it but the bloody thing won't drop it.

 

Yeah, I hate those ether element enemies. I had to get a few Squall Elements off them and they either weren't dropping or the stupid things blew up before I could kill them.

 

You'll probably shoot past me now as I won't get back until tomorrow.

[peterl0]

Update time. I haven't been on this since Thursday, due to being down my bros for the weekend, but figure I would have some banter about where Im at.

 

I just finished the Galahad Fortress area and that whole place seemed to crank up the difficulty. For the whole game I have managed to do any level grinding ( although the SQ grinding made up for this ) but some of the UMs in this area kicked my butt.

 

What made this annoying was that there were zero SQs to do and the normal enemies dropped pitiful XP. This made it impossible to do any levelling up. I wasn't best pleased as I like to blitz enemies when playing these type of games.

 

The boss battle where you fight 3 machines and Fiora was a pain as well, even though I was 4 levels above them. I eventually emerged victorious though and enjoyed the cutscenes afterwards.

 

 

I have to say, I don't think this is the all singing and all dancing game that many make this out to be. I love the genre and have played many of them during the last generation and a lot of them are a better game than this. I know I have yet to finish this but I think its safe to say that I easily got more enjoyment out of the likes of Crisis Core, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Tales of Xillia etc.

 

This isn't a bad game by any means but many Wii owners called it the JRPG of the generation and I have to disagree. Maybe they just didn't play ones on the other consoles? Or maybe they do generally think that it was? Opinions and all that.

 

This game is one of my favourite games of all time I would say. I had assumed before this that there would not be another game I would play that would be this good based on the nostalgia of youth. Previously the only other games I have played that even came close were Chronotrigger and Final fantasy 6/3. I haven't played the other games you suggest but for them to be better would honestly stagger me.

 

That being said I just have not had the frustration that you guys have had at the size/emptiness of some of the areas and even the random chance item needs did not bother me too much. A large part of this is of course the music and the story, but that often is in jrpgs.

[Hero-of-Time]

I love the music in the game but I'm finding the story to be pretty average. Every so called twist that has happened so far I seen coming from a mile away. I don't find the characters that great either.

 

NWR had an interesting discussion recently about Bravely Default. They were saying that in JRPGs the story and characters are usually the most important thing, as these two things drive the player to continue playing. You care about their fight and you want to see how things work out for them. If you don't care for either of these then the games can become a struggle. Maybe this is why it's taken me three attempts to play this game.

 

Still, I'm eager to get back home and get cracking on this after a few days break so something is drawing me to the game. To be honest it's probably just the fact that I can finally say it's done.

[Captain Falcon]

I love the music in the game but I'm finding the story to be pretty average. Every so called twist that has happened so far I seen coming from a mile away. I don't find the characters that great either.

 

NWR had an interesting discussion recently about Bravely Default. They were saying that in JRPGs the story and characters are usually the most important thing, as these two things drive the player to continue playing. You care about their fight and you want to see how things work out for them. If you don't care for either of these then the games can become a struggle. Maybe this is why it's taken me three attempts to play this game.

 

Still, I'm eager to get back home and get cracking on this after a few days break so something is drawing me to the game. To be honest it's probably just the fact that I can finally say it's done.

 

Whilst a few are pretty heavily signposted, there are some twists you have to be psychic to see coming if you truly went into the game blind - the problem with some of those ones though were that I didn't like them and didn't feel the game needed them. You might disagree though when the time comes.

 

I can't say I was ever overly taken by the characters themselves, but much like in Oblivion and Skyrim, it's the actual world that I love - that's the best character of all and the driving force becomes to see all it has to offer.

[peterl0]

Yeah I guess that is definitely it. I liked the characters a lot in the story and genuinely cared for them. Therefore the grinding was not so bad. I am not sure about the twists. I guess the earlier ones are quite obvious but somehow I did not get annoyed by that at the time.

 

I think I was burned on JRPGs until this one as a result of final fantasy 8. I did nt care about the characters and I hated the combat in that game but forced myself to complete it.

 

In xenoblade I did like how the enemies in the story if the game genuinely seemed like a threat at the time. Have not felt that in some of the other JRPGs that I have played. Feels like the team are running for their lives in the early parts if the story.

[Hero-of-Time]

So far the ones I seem coming were...

 

Fiora still being alive

Humans being in the machines

Mumkar being Metal Face

 

 

 

I think those are all the big events that have happened so far. They were all pretty obvious I thought. There's probably a bunch of cheeky surprises to pop up before the game is through though.

 

Yeah, I hated Oblivion/Fallout for the very reason you enjoyed them @Captain Falcon. I would much rather have a more focused story with likeable characters than a huge open world. Different strokes for different folks I guess

 

Yeah I guess that is definitely it. I liked the characters a lot in the story and genuinely cared for them. Therefore the grinding was not so bad. I am not sure about the twists. I guess the earlier ones are quite obvious but somehow I did not get annoyed by that at the time.

 

I think I was burned on JRPGs until this one as a result of final fantasy 8. I did nt care about the characters and I hated the combat in that game but forced myself to complete it.

 

In xenoblade I did like how the enemies in the story if the game genuinely seemed like a threat at the time. Have not felt that in some of the other JRPGs that I have played. Feels like the team are running for their lives in the early parts if the story.

 

Haha. You see I loved FFVIII. It's one of my favourite JRPGs and favourite games of all time. This is why I love the genre. All of them have such different stories and characters which allow people to take something different away from them. This is why there are so many different opinions on what the best FF game is.

[Captain Falcon]

So far the ones I seem coming were...

 

I think those are all the big events that have happened so far. They were all pretty obvious I thought. There's probably a bunch of cheeky surprises to pop up before the game is through though.

 

Yeah, I hated Oblivion/Fallout for the very reason you enjoyed them @Captain Falcon. I would much rather have a more focused story with likeable characters than a huge open world. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

I haven't really played very many JRPGs so at lot of the usual tropes that others pick up on and use to predict the entire game story just from the opening cutscene can catch me unware but all the ones you listed I saw coming a mile off too but I think most did.

 

I just like seeing new sights in games and getting to explore - as soon as I walk into an area, I'm already thinking "where next?". For me, the story is just an excuse to send me somewhere new which is why Tales of the Abyss annoys me and why I'm getting nervous as I near the end of Chapter 4 in Bravely Default if my understanding of the next few chapters is correct. But the vast nature, and sheer beauty, of the this world meant there was always something new to see right up to the end.

[lostmario]

Popped on this morning for 20 minutes before setting off for the car boot (see what I got here). Thought I'd have a quick go at clearing a couple of side quests.

 

Went looking for the Caris Nebula to get the dust element, first one I find drops it.

 

Next I went to Elks Watering Hole to look for Shimmering Forte, straight away there he is in the distance waiting for me, 10 seconds later he's dead and another side quest off the list.

 

Still had time so went looking for hodes to get 5 x Hode Planks as they usually refuse to drop them for me. 10 hodes later I have my 5.

 

[Hero-of-Time]

Update time!

 

I'm currently level 64 with 60 hours on the clock. I reached Mechonis Field last night.

 

The music in this area sent me flying back to my youth, sitting playing PSO on the Dreamcast and Cube. It was the music that did it.

 

 

You get a hint of it as it plays but at the 1:25 mark it totally sounds like something off PSO.

 

Every area since I hit the Mechonis has been a bit annoying. The team I rock is Shulk, Reyn and Tits McGee. The weapons they need to use to do damage are garbage at this point and I haven't found any replacements for them. It's either let them continue to use these weapons or equip more powerful ones I've obtained and use that Enchant powerup on the Monado so they can actually hit for more than 1 damage.

 

[Ike]

The music in this area sent me flying back to my youth, sitting playing PSO on the Dreamcast and Cube. It was the music that did it.

 

 

You get a hint of it as it plays but at the 1:25 mark it totally sounds like something off PSO.

 

Every area since I hit the Mechonis has been a bit annoying. The team I rock is Shulk, Reyn and Tits McGee. The weapons they need to use to do damage are garbage at this point and I haven't found any replacements for them. It's either let them continue to use these weapons or equip more powerful ones I've obtained and use that Enchant powerup on the Monado so they can actually hit for more than 1 damage.

 

Hah! You are so right, it does sound like something that would fit in PSO. Started the track and got distracted, I new exactly the point you meant without looking.

 

[lostmario]

Update time!

 

I'm currently level 64 with 60 hours on the clock. I reached Mechonis Field last night.

 

ooh snap, lvl 64 with 63 hours on the clock.

 

I'm near the end of Mechonis Field though.

 

Did you go all the way up to that spot in Fallen Arm? You know the one if you did.

[Hero-of-Time]

ooh snap, lvl 64 with 63 hours on the clock.

 

I'm near the end of Mechonis Field though.

 

Did you go all the way up to that spot in Fallen Arm? You know the one if you did.

 

For the sidequest?

 

Hell of a view!

 

Just about to leave Mechonis Field myself...

[Hero-of-Time]

I'm level 70 with 68 hours on the clock and I'm just finishing up in the Agniratha area.

 

Bit of a tough area that one. The enemies are very grouped together and often attack in a bunch. There was one UM that have me a fair bit of bother, until I realised he was doing spike damage. After I figured that out I just used the Monado to nullify the effects and everything was gravy.

 

I'm not making any promises but I'm hoping that I can get this done over the long weekend. I'm kinda still enjoying it but it's really starting to drag its feet and a part of me will be glad when it's over. Never a good sign when you think that about a game.

[peterl0]

I will admit that some of those sections were a bit of a drag.

 

The mechons are less interesting to slay than the creatures of bionics by this point. Also past fallen arm the environments are slightly less interesting.

 

 

I think my desire to continue the game came now from wanting to see the end. There are some pretty epic cut scenes coming up.

[Hero-of-Time]

I will admit that some of those sections were a bit of a drag.

 

The mechons are less interesting to slay than the creatures of bionics by this point. Also past fallen arm the environments are slightly less interesting.

 

 

I think my desire to continue the game came now from wanting to see the end. There are some pretty epic cut scenes coming up.

 

Yeah, I agree to all of your stuff in the spoiler box.

 

My progress got slowed down due to a boss.

 

Freaking Gadolt and his minions! I was level 70 and he was still kicking my butt. After trying numerous times I headed for Google. Seems like he caused many peeps some issues. The spike in difficulty just comes out of nowhere though. Even the 2 boss fights straight after him are a complete walk in the park.

 

After about 40 mins I managed to defeat him. It took some rearranging of my gear and skills but with the right setup I managed to best the SOB.

 

After that I then had to sit through around 40 mins of cutscenes. I usually don't mind cutscenes in games but a lot of the animations in this game are completely off and rigid. It's like watching the PSOne Resident Evil games all over again.

 

 

Just reached the next area now but it's time for bed.

[nekunando]

I tried to get into this earlier in the week, so I made my way out of the Ether Mines, had a battle with a group of enemies, lost, then realised I couldn't be bothered

 

Xenoblade Chronicles probably isn't for me..

[lostmario]

Keep this spoiler free

 

Got stuck on a boss (same as HoT) last night, spent 2 hours trying to beat it, no luck.

 

Like HoT, I played around with my gear, mainly added 20%HP. Did it first time.

 

This game, you have all these twists in the story and it just keeps throwing them at you. Love it.